Excess nitrogen in surface waters is not only about fertilizer management, it's also about water management, says Dr. Jerry Hatfield, director of the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, IA. Hatfield spoke to a large turnout including many area farmers at the Hawk Creek Watershed Project annual meeting Feb. 28 in Renville. Research accumulating since the 1930s shows that changes in cropping systems away from hay and small grain to intensively-row cropped corn, soybeans, and sugar beets has "changed the whole dynamics" of agriculture and the environment, Hatfield says. (Photo by Tom Cherveny, West Central Tribune-Willmar)

"The loss of nitrogen is basically the loss of money. We need land use changes across the U.S. We need small grains, hay and cover crops." Improving soil organic matter is key. "A lot of things change when we change the soil." It's the foundation of practices that control water in the fields and downstream, he says. "We're losing 1,000 lbs. of carbon per acre per year. That's not sustainable. We need more vegetation and less tillage." Changing as little as 10 percent of the cropped acres in targeted areas would have a significant impact, he says, and simply to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer without better water and crop management is not realistic. All the data and tools can be found online in the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework. According to the MPCA Nutrient Reduction Strategy, in Minnesota 11.2 million acres would benefit by following U of M recommended fertilizer rates, watch placement and timing of application, and use N inhibitors. The Dept. of Agriculture's proposed nitrogen rule, would regulate fertilizer management for nitrogen in groundwater-sensitive areas.

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The Rochester Post-Bulletin reports that "The Soil Guy" Ray Archuleta will share his expertise in building healthy soil at several events in southeast Minnesota. Archuleta, who worked for more than 30 years in soil conservation for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, was stationed in Idaho in 2005-06 and watching the lakes and rivers fill with sediment. He started asking what was wrong.

The obvious problem Archuleta saw was soil runoff, taking valuable topsoil and nutrients from farmland and washing it toward the lakes and rivers. Soil is alive,” Archuleta said. “It’s an ecosystem.” To make that ecosystem work, he said, farming practices need to emulate nature. Healthy soil takes more work, especially on the front end as a farmer is starting the process, but eventually it leads to a better soil environment for growing, an environment that helps sustain crops through drought. Archuleta spoke March 20 in Kasson and is scheduled for three more dates:

• March 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Lewiston Community Center, 75 Rice St.
• March 28, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Faribault American Legion, 112 5th St. NE.
• March 28, 6-9 p.m., Riverland Community College, West Campus Garage, 1900 8th Ave. NW, Austin.

RSPV to Land Stewardship Project, 507-523-3366, Ext. 102, or sfillius@landstewardshipproject.org. Fee for each morning event is $20 ($10 for students) and includes a noon meal. There is no fee for the evening event at Riverland Community College in Austin. Photo: Ray Archuleta digs into the soil at a field day several years ago in southwestern Minnesota.

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Farm Journal-Ag Professional, 3/13/18:
Despite farmers’ positive perceptions about cover crops and the availability of cost-share programs to incentivize their use, an Iowa State University study shows the return on investment may be the biggest hurdle to overcome for widespread adoption of the practice. “We have a substantial body of research that shows cover crops have positive long-term benefits for water quality, soil health and the environment,” says Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor of economics and extension economist.

But it’s likely that the number of acres planted won’t substantially scale up if the practice doesn’t at least break-even in the short term. "We found that farmers who grazed livestock on cover crops or harvested them for forage or biomass generated sufficient additional revenue or cost savings to result in overall positive returns, in addition to receiving cost-share payments,” Plastina says. “Promoting the use of cover crops for livestock grazing or forage would help a farmer’s bottom line.”

Plastina is developing a website on the economics of cover crops that will include tools for farmers and others to discern potential costs and benefits. The website will include a downloadable spreadsheet with several budget scenarios for cover crops and a simple web-based decision tool to generate estimated net returns to cover crops.

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Groundwater quantity and quality issues are surfacing in various arenas around the state. While the Dept. of Agriculture's nitrogen fertilizer rule has been in the spotlight (news release below), the Dept. of Natural Resources is hosting local meetings about groundwater resources, particularly among agricultural producers using more than a million gallons of groundwater each year. Any user at that amount is required to have an appropriation permit and report their usage.

At the first public meeting March 2 in Willmar, Kandiyohi County feedlot operators also learned about the Community-based Aquifer Management Partnership (CAMP) as an option for groundwater users to co-manage shared aquifers. CAMP works best when users know each other and share their water use information, says Tim Gieseke, DNR groundwater specialist. A second Feedlot-CAMP public meeting was held March 15 in Fairmont for Martin County feedlot operators.

In recent years observation wells are showing declines in aquifer levels. Due to geography and geology, groundwater resources are highly variable. In rural areas, livestock operations and irrigation draw the most groundwater. In the DNR Southern Region about 20 percent of the livestock operations use more than 61 percent of the total amount of groundwater used by all livestock operations, according to Anne Nelson, DNR district appropriation hydrologist.

DNR hydrologist Ethan Jenzen encouraged livestock producers to determine if they need a water appropriation permit, and if so apply online. "Water use is part of the economic growth in the county, and we want to make sure water use is sustainable," Jenzen says. Photo: Ethan Jenzen, left, demonstrates the groundwater model at the Kandiyohi County meeting March 2.

Gov. Dayton proposes groundwater protection measure to reduce elevated nitrate levels in drinking water

March 6 news release: Following 17 public meetings engaging more than 1,500 farmers, landowners, and other Minnesotans, Gov. Mark Dayton and Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson proposed a new groundwater protection measure. It would apply to vulnerable areas and areas with high nitrate levels in public drinking waters. It also would create a system of voluntary and mandatory mitigation practices in areas with high nitrate concentrations in the public water supplies. The Dept. of Agriculture expects the rule to be published for formal comment in mid-to-late May with hearings to be held this summer and final adoption in late 2018.  Map depicting vulnerable areas (shown in purple and green) where nitrogen fertilizer application would be limited during the fall to protect groundwater from contamination.  More information is available on the MDA nitrogen fertilizer rule webpage.

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The annual meeting of the Minnkota Agri-Builders and Equipment Association March 8-9 at Jackpot Junction near Morton featured industry updates and tours of Hanson Silo and Simply Shrimp. The group brings together regulatory personnel, engineers, building and equipment suppliers, and university researchers from Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa, and Nebraska to discuss current topics of interest n the animal livestock world. Updates and application of the propane and fire codes were presented and discussed.

University research updates focused on effective energy use in animal holding facilities, effects of leaks in swine barns with incoming air filters, and removal of hydrogen sulfide from the manure stream to limit gaseous hydrogen sulfide emissions. The H2S removal research uses electrically charged plates lowered into the manure stored below the barn which bind the hydrogen sulfide generating molecules to the plates instead of being released as gas. The tours visited Hanson Silo Company and Simply Shrimp, both located south of Willmar. Paul Damhof started raising shrimp on the family farm near Blomkest when his parents retired after 50 years in dairy. West Central Tribune photo: Paul Damhof, founder of Simply Shrimp.

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After several years in the works, the Root River watershed-based plan in southeastern Minnesota is moving forward with a two-year budget and list of projects. Root River One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P), one of five pilot projects launched in 2014 by BWSR, will receive $851,301 for a 2018-2019 budget and work plan addressing groundwater, surface water, social capacity, and administration.

Root River 1W1P’s local government units include Dodge, Fillmore (administrative lead), Mower, Olmsted, Houston and Winona (fiscal agent) counties along with their respective SWCDs. Root River SWCD represents Houston County. Crooked Creek Watershed District in Houston County also is among them.

A four-page summary document about the Root River 1W1P plan and priorities is available to the public, including online on the Mower SWCD homepage at: www.mowerswcd.org. The Root River 1W1P plan and other related documents are available on Fillmore SWCD’s website at: www.fillmoreswcd.org/rootRiverWatershed.html.

BWSR has led the statewide 1W1P program aiming to reduce Minnesota’s more than 200 water-management plans based on political boundaries to less than 100 plans created on watershed boundaries. Watershed-based plans have the potential to allow for streamlined funding and administration to maximize efficiency, minimize redundancy and prevent duplication of efforts both on the local and state levels. - Mower SWCD news release.

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The North Fork Crow River One Watershed, One Plan is available for public review and comment through March 31. Comments on the plan should be sent to both: Diane Sander, Watershed Coordinator, Crow River Organization of Water, 311 Brighton Avenue, Suite C, Buffalo, MN 55313, diane.sander@mn.nacdnet.net; and Steve Christopher, Board Conservationist, MN Board of Water and Soil Resources, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, MN 55155, steve.christopher@state.mn.us. Photo: Steve Christopher reviews the plan at the March 6 Kandiyohi County Board meeting.

The One Watershed, One Plan vision is to align local water planning on major watershed boundaries with state strategies towards prioritized, targeted, and measurable implementation plans. It builds on existing local water management plans and priorities, existing and new studies and data, Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) and other related plans from state agencies.

Examples of these statewide plans include: Dept. of Agriculture Nitrogen Management Plan, Pollution Control Agency Nutrient Reduction Strategy, Dept. of Natural Resources Prairie Conservation Plan, Dept. of Health Wellhead Protection plans, and the Metropolitan Council 2040 Water Resources Management Policy Plan.

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Chryseis Modderman has recently joined the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota as a new crops Extension Educator focusing on manure management. She is from a farm family in west central Minnesota (south of Benson) and has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy from Southwest Minnesota State University, and a Master of Science degree in plant pathology from North Dakota State University while working as a research specialist. Chryseis will collaborate with farmers and researchers to identify and address manure management needs across Minnesota.

Extension seeks soil health specialist

The MN Office for Soil Health (at the University of Minnesota) is seeking to hire an Extension Soil Health Specialist. On-campus interviews for the top three candidates will be March 22, March 27, and a date to be determined in early April. Stakeholders inside and outside the U are encouraged to participate in interview seminars and meetings, and to provide feedback about the candidates. The interview schedules and candidate information are available on the Soil Health Specialist position web page. 

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